Outlaws
by my daydream world
Summary: Will becomes an outlaw when he was fourteen years old – years before Robin returns from the Holy Land. Little John takes the young outlaw under his wing.


**Okay I went to Sherwood Forest a few days ago (and got lost lol) and now I want to write Robin Hood Fanfiction or finish writing Robin Hood Fanfiction I started years ago and never put up. I of course do not own Robin Hood. **

**Author Note: The of characters here are a little different but its fanfiction anything can happen. **

**Summary: Will becomes an outlaw when he was fourteen years old – years before Robin returns from the Holy Land. Little John takes the young outlaw under his wing. **

**Outlaws**

At eleven years old Will watched as Robin of Loxley leave to fight a war in a far off land across the sea. For a bit everything went along normally - that was until a new sheriff come to Nottingham bring a new Lord to Loxley – Sir Guy of Gisborne. Will knew he didn't like Gisborne the moment he laid eyes on him. They was something about him he didn't like - the way he looked at them, the way he talked. He way he thought he was better than them.

"Why is he here?" asked Will at evening "He doesn't own the land or the house…." He may be young but he did understand some things. The land and the house belong to Robin, it didn't belong to Gisborne so Gisborne didn't have no rights to be there.

"Yeah," agreed Luke at once "It belongs to Robin…." At lest Robin was friendly to their parents and even with them.

Dan Scarlet paused for a long moment, he looked worried, "Watch what you say boys, I haven't hear good things about the new sheriff…. and the sheriff is friends with Gisborne….I don't want you boys getting into any trouble…."

"Listen to your father," agreed Jane, she also looked worried. At the time Will didn't really understand why.

At eleven years old the taxes started to went up. And they went up too fast and too high. Soon Will and his family were shrugging to pay the taxes - let alone buy food to eat. Will Scarlet hated the sheriff and Gisborne more and more…..Why did the taxes have to be so high? Surly they was no need for it. But at eleven Will couldn't do nothing about it. No one could do nothing about it. Some days Will and his family went without food.

At twelve years old, Will, does whatever work he can do for some money or food. Sometime that work meant helping his father. Or sometimes worked in the Loxley manor doing odd jobs like mucking out the stables or sweeping the floor. Sometimes he made the journey to Nottingham and help during the market. It was a little more money but they were still struggling, the taxes were becoming higher. No one had money and that meant no one could pay his father for work, meaning they couldn't trade, meaning they couldn't get food and their were beginning to stave. Being hungry become normal.

At twelve his mother become weaker and looked more and more ill. It was then he learns that his mother had stop eating so that his father, himself and little Luke could eat. When they realized what she was doing, they all made sure she had something to eat - She was beginning get a little stronger . But she was no strong enough to fight a sudden illness. And one night she had died. The taxes keep going up and his family carried on shrugging.

At thirteen years old Will goes poaching so that no one else he loves stave to death – the first couple of times everything went fine then Luke wanted to come alone. It was then they were caught. Dan insisted the guard chop off his own hand so that Will and Luke could keep their own.

"It's not worth the risk Will," said his father a few days later "I know you are trying to help – but it not worth the risk…."

Between dying of starvation and having his hand chop off Will didn't know what was better. He had to do more of the work for his father now. They still shrugging. All the money they had went on taxes and food was a luxury.

At Fourteen years old Will starts poaching again. And one day he was caught. He runs and they chase him in to Sherwood Forest, they almost caught him too when an arrow hit the guard. Will looked around at a big man the biggest man he ever seen and beside a smaller man who had the bow and arrow. Will looked at them unable to look away. He knew they were outlaws - but they also just saved his life.

"What did you do boy?" asked the giant,

"I was poaching….to get food for my family…." Said Will wide eye

The smaller man laughed but not unkindly "The poor kid is scrawnier than a scarecrow, he could do with some meat on those bones..."

The gaint looked at him "Where are you from?"

"Loxley…." said Will

"And you're name?" asked the giant

Will paused for a moment consisting lying but what was the point "Will Scarlet." He said

The gaint and the other shared a look with each other like they were having a silent convention. Then it looked like they agreed. "I'm Roy," said the smaller man, he nodded to the other an direction "That's Little John," Roy looked at Will for a moment "Looks like you're an outlaw now…what's your plan now?" Will couldn't speck he hadn't process that he was now a outlaw - he didn't even realise he was a now outlaw - he knew he couldn't go back - he would be recognised almost at once.

Little John looked at the boy – he was too young to be in this situation but he was in this situation now. "Are you hungry?" Will nodded his head slowly "We have some spar if you follow us…"

"What the catch?" asked Will not moving. John looked at at boy - he had his wits about him that for sure. And that was good - he would need his wit about him now. And John saw the mistrust in his eyes - it wasn't a surprised the boy just saw them kill at man after all.

"There's no catch," said Roy "Think of it as a reward for escarping the sheriff's men…. " Will looked back toward Loxley "You can't go back now…you would be putting your family at risk….you don't want that do you?" Will shook his head. "Come on," said Roy. Will didn't know where else he could go so followed Little John and Roy deeper in to the forest.

Little John keep an close eye on the newest outlaw over the next few days. John learn that Will could just read and write but that little used in the middle of Sherwood. (But it might be useful one of these days) He wasn't as naïve as the other outlaws though he was but he was unused to the hash live in the forest and the ruthlessness of some of the other outlaws. Will come from a family that rarely had fights to the forests were fights were a way of life.

Three days in Will got into his first physical fight. The boy might be all skin and bones but he knew how to punch someone. Being smaller and younger Will was quickly beaten.

John didn't seen himself as someone who protective people. Sure he looked out for Roy more than the other outlaws, Roy who knew could start a fight in the empty room. Roy was someone who looked up to him and stuck by him for the last few years. Now there was Will who needed some guiding. Unlike Roy the boy didn't look for a fight but he was stubborn and didn't always listen. John knew he stuck back into Loxley to see his father and brother and that dangerous risk.

"If you going to act stupid," said John one day throwing Will a staff "You are going need to learn to fight…." With that John began to train Will the best he could. Will could never beat John while using the staff – but he knew how to fight with one of his father's old axes that his father had gave him. "Never go anywhere without it," said John.

The next time some other the other outlaw thought it was a good idea to pick a fight with Will – they didn't try it again. John couldn't help but feel proud. He hoped the other outlaws would now realize Will was one of them and wouldn't try to bully him anymore.

Little John knew how to hunt well and often hunted the deer without shame. Yes it was against the law but John didn't really care about that. The king wasn't hungry right now – heck the king was in the holy land he wasn't going to miss some random deer. Roy and Will weren't as good of a hunter than John was - but they were fast learners.

Will had develop the knack of making traps – his traps never caught anything like deers but he mange to catch more rabbits than anyone John knew. Will told him he could make bigger traps to stop the sheriff men – John didn't disbelieve him but thought that would be a bad idea.

Winter hit Sherwood Forest hard that winter. A lot of the outlaws risk staying with family members to avoid the harsh weather. John stay as did Will and Roy. They could not return to their homes Especially Will who almost got caught last time he left the forest to go to Loxley. John, Roy and Will set up camp in a cave that was filled with bats and spiders. Roy spend most of the long nights trying to scare Will about ghosts and curses- but they didn't really work.

The weeks of freezing weather were long and it felt like one of them was always ill and they were all hungry. They were all glade when the first signs of spring began.

At fifteen years old Will had grown used to the life of an outlaw. He was still picked on a lot but wasn't physically harmed anymore. He work hard to gain some respect – he could make weapons better than anyone else, he could hunt and could fight. He had to thank John for teaching him. It was also thanks to John for making sure no one messed with him too much.

At fifteen Will sometime risked going home – sometimes to give his father and brother an odd rabbit. He warn Luke not to follow in his footsteps. Being an outlaw isn't the life he wanted for his little brother. Luke promised not too.

John and the other outlaw rob the people who stay too far off the road – sometimes the people on the road too. John never robbed the defenceless or women or children. But some of the outlaws that lived in the forest did. If John found out he would knock them into the middle of next week. Will did manage to make bigger traps and they worked well. John had the misfortune of getting stuck in a few himself. Roy hang wind chimes made of animals bones in the trees to spook off the more superstations travellers – and for they luck most travellers were superstations and believed the forest to be hunted.

Will was sixteen when he and his brother got arrested. And Will was sixteen when he was almost hanged. He was sixteen when Robin Hood come back. Will was sixteen when Robin Hood become a outlaw.

John had Robin, Much and Allan tied up. and John looked angrily at Will – the boy never learned his lesson and he nearly died because of his recklessness. "He save my life John." Said Will trying to save Robin and the two other men "And my brothers…"

"It wouldn't need saving if you did what you were told and stayed in the forest," said John hitting Will had the back of his head. "How many times, do not go back to Loxley…."

"I had to help my family," said Will angrily – he had grown a temper on him recently. John wasn't sure whether it was age thing or frustration.

When Robin come to Sherwood and come as an outlaw. He quickly took over as a leader.

John found he could trust Robin – but that didn't stop him from trying to keep Will safe especially after Roy died. Roy death shook both of them to the core. And John wasn't afraid to tell Robin if anything happen to Will he would hold him responsible

"Will can make his own choices," said Robin, Robin wasn't blind - he knew how much John, Roy and Will meant to each other. But his men knew the risk in helping him. Will knew the risks from the beginning. He might be young but his heart was in the right place and he was fiercely stubborn. (Something Robin thought he picked up from John himself)

John didn't answer - he knew they all made they own choices in life, but sometimes he worried about his friends - his family, being an outlaw wasn't without its risks.

**That all I have. I know it is short and I ramble a little bit too long. But Why not. Hope you enjoy **


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